Five years after Georgia's Rose Revolution and weeks after the Russian-Georgian
War, correspondent Sonja Pace visited the Caucasus nation to check on Georgia:
Beyond the War. Our special report includes video, an interactive timeline,
slideshows and more. Keep up with APEC coverage on our Global Economic Turmoil
page. VOANews.com, with its new community site USAVotes2008.com, will continue
to provide you with coverage on the transition from President Bush to President
Obama.
Moqtada al-Sadr Supporters Protest New Military Pact in Baghdad
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Radical Shi'ite cleric demands Iraqi parliament reject pact, set to take effect
in January
Thousands of noisy demonstrators filled Baghdad's renowned Firdous Square to
protest a new military pact between Iraq and the United States which is being
debated in parliament. Radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who called for
the protest, is demanding that the Iraqi parliament reject the pact, which is
set to take effect in January, as Edward Yeranian reports from Cairo.Thousands
of followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr converge on Firdous Square in
central Baghdad to protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact, 21 Nov
2008Throngs of mostly Shi'ite supporters of anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
filled Baghdad's Firdous Square to protest a new security pact between Iraq and
the United States that is being debated in parliament.Sadr has been demanding
that the Iraqi parliament reject the new pact, which would allow U.S. forces to
remain in Iraq until December 2011. The old U.N. mandate expires on December
31.Protesters chanted anti-U.S. slogans and waved banners decrying the new
security pact, such as "no, no, to the security agreement," and "occupation
forces must go, now."One demonstrator, who gave his name as Abdul Amir Aboud,
said that he was against the new accord, which some political leaders are
trying to ram through parliament.He says that the demonstration shows that the
people reject the new Security pact with the United States, which he thinks has
been imposed on them, and which is now being whisked through the Iraqi
parliament and the government.In a symbolic gesture, Moqtada al-Sadr supporters
strung up an effigy of U.S. President George Bush from a statue in Firdous
Square to express their displeasure with the United States.Thousands of Iraqis
tore down a statue of deposed former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the same
square, shortly after U.S. forces arrived in Baghdad in 2003.Al Jazeera TV
reported that both Shi'ites and Sunnis took part in the demonstration, which
followed an unusual joint Friday prayer session. Media reports, however, say
that most of the demonstrators were Shi'ite.Moqtada al-Sadr's top spokesman in
Baghdad, Salman al Freiji also told al Jazeera TV that the "U.S. occupiers must
leave the country immediately" and that parliament must reject the security
pact, which he claims has "unacceptable secret provisions."Iraqi military
forces kept a close watch on demonstrators, placing sharp-shooters on rooftops
surrounding Firdous Square.National Security Advisor Mufawaq al Rubaie, who
helped draft the new pact, refused to comment on Friday's demonstrations when
asked by VOA.Iraq's parliament had a stormy debate over the text of the new
agreement Thursday, with Iraqi government station al Iraqia showing members of
parliament trying to shout each other down and others trying to stir up a
frenzy.With a vote set for the beginning of next week, analyst Paul Salem, who
heads the Carnegie Center for Peace in the Middle East, thinks that it's too
soon to tell what may happen."Well, it's certainly touch and go. I mean, the
vote is for Monday and it's not clear that [Prime Minister] Maliki has all the
votes necessary," he said. "The coalition of Sadrists and some of the Sunni
groups and some of the secularists who are against it are a strong coalition.
There is also issues of a quorum, because it's the beginning of the haj season
and some deputies have already left and does really put the approval of the
status of forces agreement somewhat up in the air. Maliki is doing his best to
get the votes necessary. It's probably touch and go down to the wire. I don't
think anybody can predict." Moqtada al-Sadr is also a long-standing ally of
Iran, and Salem thinks that it's still not entirely clear what position the
Iranians are taking in the debate over the new military pact."There have been
conflicting statements from different Iranian authorities," he said. "The head
of the judicial branch welcomed the agreement, whereas Larijani, the head of
parliament, while saying that it's a much better draft than the one that the
Americans initially tabled, he publicly said that the parliament should still
oppose it. So, it seems that either that there are different Iranian factions
pulling in different directions, or they're sitting on the fence on this
one."Despite the loud debate in parliament and attempts by Moqtada al-Sadr's
block of 30 deputies to shout down the accord, a majority of Iraq's 275 member
legislative body is still believed to support it.
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US Stocks Plunge to New Lows Not Seen Since 2002
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Closely watched S&P 500 index fell to 11-year low, taking that index back to
pre-technology bubble levels
Economic gloom deepened Thursday in the United States as stock prices fell to
five-and-a-half-year lows and Congress delayed until next month action to
assist hard-pressed U.S. automakers. VOA's Barry Wood has more.
Traders at New York Stock Exchange, 20 Nov 2008The closely watched
Standard and Poors 500 index fell to an 11-year low, taking that index back to
pre-technology bubble levels. The Dow Jones Industrials fell another 444 points
to 7,552, its lowest level since 2003.
"Once the market takes out its 2002 lows, which the S&P just did, and I think
the Dow is around 7,200, then I think you can look for the blow-off bottom and
perhaps an end to the selling, or at least an intermediate term bottom," said
Tim Mulholland, a futures trader in Chicago, said on Bloomberg Television.
Citigroup, until recently the biggest U.S. bank, continued its fall and has
now lost nearly 50 percent of its value in just the past two days.
Congress Thursday turned aside the pleas of industrial state lawmakers from
both parties and postponed until the week of December 8 any vote on granting
emergency loans to U.S.-based car companies. The Detroit three say the credit
squeeze and sharp falloff in consumer demand has left them so short of cash
that they face possible bankruptcy.
Lee Hoskins, the former governor of the Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Ohio, told
Bloomberg News that he opposes aid to the car companies unless tight conditions
are attached.
"If Congress is foolish enough to do this, then I think they should demand a
lot from both the labor unions and the companies themselves, including changing
the management, if they want," he said.
Gold gained $13 on the day to $749 an ounce and oil lost another $4 to under
$50 a barrel. Oil prices are now down about 60 percent from their record highs
set in mid-July.
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Lawmakers Seek Restructuring Plan From US Automakers Before Approving Aid
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General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have until early next month to submit
proposals to make their companies economically viable
U.S. lawmakers are demanding that America's big three automakers submit plans
for making their companies economically viable before approving federal aid to
the beleaguered industry. Under a bipartisan proposal announced Thursday,
automakers have until early next month to send Congress their plans. VOA's
Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
House Nancy Pelosi (left) with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (far
right), 20 Nov 2008Democratic congressional leaders say they are prepared to
return to Washington next month to continue a post-election session and approve
federal loans to the automobile industry if automakers submit plans to
restructure by December 2.
"Until they show us the plan, we cannot show them the money," said Speaker of
the House Nancy Pelosi.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid echoed the comments.
"We want to help, but we can only help if they are willing to help themselves,"
he said.
Senator Reid withdrew legislation to use $25 billion of the $700 billion
financial rescue package approved by Congress last month to help the auto
industry, saying the plan lacked lawmakers' support.
It also lacked the support of the Bush administration, which argued the $700
billion was meant to shore up financial institutions, not automakers. The
administration favored using money from another loan program set up by Congress
to help develop more fuel-efficient automobiles. Congressional Democrats had
opposed using that money for anything other than developing vehicles that use
less gasoline.
But under the bipartisan plan announced Thursday, that loan program could be
used to help the auto industry in the short term - if automakers submit
restructuring plans, with a guarantee that the account would be replenished.
Senator Chris Bond, a Missouri Republican, led the compromise effort.
"This bipartisan compromise will protect the millions of American jobs at
stake, protect taxpayers and will require the auto industry to come forward
with a plan to show how they will get to viability, financial stability and
profitability," he said.
In testimony before the Senate and House this week, top executives from
General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, appealed for $25 billion in loans, warning
that their industry, hurt by a sharp drop in sales and a tight credit market,
might collapse without them and further worsen the U.S. economy.
But skeptical lawmakers argued that much of the industry's problems stemmed
from mismanagement. House members criticized the executives for flying into
Washington on multimillion dollar corporate jets to seek federal assistance.
In separate action Thursday, the Senate voted to extend unemployment benefits
for jobless Americans. The House of Representatives had already acted on the
measure, which now goes to President Bush for his signature.
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Bush Travels to Peru for Final Pacific Rim Summit
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White House says president will urge APEC to endorse steps already being taken
to boost global economy
U.S. President George Bush is on his way to Peru for his final Pacific Rim
summit. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports this is expected
to be Mr. Bush's last foreign trip before leaving office.President George W.
Bush walks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, center, and National
Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, left, as they leave the White House, 21 Nov
2008President Bush attended his first Pacific Rim summit just two months after
the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.Now, with the
nation in the midst of a financial crisis, he is making his last appearance at
the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.White House aides say the
president will urge APEC to endorse steps already being taken to boost the
global economy. They indicate he will likely focus on the need to expand trade
worldwide and open markets.Charles Freeman is a former U.S. trade official. He
says even though Mr. Bush has little time left in office, his words can have an
impact at the forum."Well, I mean, words count," Freeman said. "So I think what
the leadership says about trade liberalization is very important. And standing
up for that is key."The Pacific Rim countries account for about half of the
world's trade and population. And the number of bilateral and free trade
agreements between and among APEC members has soared in recent years.APEC is
not a formal organization or a negotiating body, but a venue for leaders to
come together to exchange thoughts and ideas. And while it does not have the
clout of the Group of 20 leading industrialized and emerging economies, it is
an instrument of dialog in a key region of the world.Steven Schrage, an expert
on international business and trade at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies in Washington, says the Pacific Rim is vitally
important."You've got 60 percent of U.S. exports, 60 percent of world GDP
[i.e., gross domestic product]. I believe it is over 50 percent of world
trade, three billion consumers - so there is a critical mass of world leaders
here with some of the most advanced and important economies," Schrage said.The
APEC forum also gives Pacific Rim leaders a chance to hold numerous one-on-one
meetings on the sidelines. President Bush, for example, is expected to confer
with the leaders of China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and host Peru.While it
will be an opportunity to say his farewells, aides say Mr. Bush has a full
agenda for these meetings. They say he wants to discuss North Korea's nuclear
ambitions with others involved in the negotiating process with Pyongyang. And
they say he wants to discuss Georgia and a proposed missile defense system for
Europe with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
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UN Security Council to Sanction Obstructers of Somali Peace Process
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Sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans against anyone blocking
political process, violating arms embargo or obstructing delivery of
humanitarian aid
The U.N. Security Council has authorized sanctions against any individual or
group that obstructs the peace process in war-torn Somalia. From United Nations
headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.
UN Security Council meeting (File)The Security Council unanimously
adopted a British resolution calling for targeted sanctions such as asset
freezes and travel bans against anyone blocking the political process,
violating the arms embargo or obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid.
British Ambassador John Sawers said the resolution is an important weapon
against spoilers in Somalia.
"The prime goal of this is to provide a framework to stem the flow of arms into
Somalia, which is causing such mayhem there," he said.
Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991, when warlords
overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another
in a struggle for power.
One effect of the ensuing lawlessness is the growing danger from piracy off
Somalia's nearly 4,000-kilometer-long coastline.
Efthimios Mitropoulos, the head of the International Maritime Organization,
said Somali pirates are holding 14 ships and some 280 crew members hostage.
He urged the Security Council to renew the mandate allowing international
naval vessels to pursue pirates into Somali territorial waters when it expires
early next month - action Somalia's transitional federal government also
supports.
"A coordinated and cohesive response, at the international and national
levels, is, therefore, necessary for the safety and well being of seafarers,
for the seamless delivery of humanitarian aid to Somalia, for the protection of
the maritime environment against casualties that may have a catastrophic impact
and for the shipping industry to continue to serve the seaborne trade and the
world economy efficiently and effectively," he said.
The United States announced that it is circulating a draft resolution that
would enhance the current mandate from the Security Council for fighting
piracy. It would allow states, in cooperation with Somalia's transitional
federal government, to repress acts of piracy and establish jurisdiction for
bringing pirates to justice.
But South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo said all of Somalia's problems
must be addressed before piracy will disappear.
"You cannot only resolve piracy without resolving the situation on the ground
in Somalia," he said. "Yes, piracy is urgent; we see it on the news; it catches
our attention. But we keep on arguing that the condition of the people of
Somalia should do the same - should catch our attention. That is what feeds
into this whole situation."
The African Union representative at the Security Council meeting urged that
U.N. peacekeepers be sent to Somalia.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed replacing the current force of
about 3,500 African Union troops in Somalia with an international stabilization
force, eventually sending a large U.N. peacekeeping contingent once there is a
real peace to keep.
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Africa's Top Diplomat Blames Somalia's Feuding Politicians for Piracy Surge
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AU commission chairman says surge in pirate activity is symptom of political
failure that has brought transitional government to brink of collapse
Africa's top diplomat is blaming Somalia's feuding politicians for the surge
in piracy along the coast of the Horn of Africa, and is calling for swift
international intervention. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from African Union
headquarters in Addis Ababa.Jean Ping (File)African Union Commission Chairman
Jean Ping is holding urgent talks on the piracy issue with several European
diplomats, including visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose
country holds the European Union presidency. Speaking to VOA, Ping said the
surge in activity by Somali pirates is a symptom of the political failure that
has brought the country's U.N.-backed transitional government to the brink of
collapse."Piracy is an extension on the sea of the problem you are facing on
the land. Of course we talked about all these problems [like] piracy, which is
an important aspect of all the disorder you already have in Somali territory,"
Ping said.An African Union statement urges the U.N. Security Council to
dispatch a peacekeeping force to assist a beleaguered A.U. force of about 3400
troops trying to maintain order in the lawless country that is home to a raging
Islamist insurgency. The statement quotes Ping as saying piracy is a clear
indication of the further deterioration of Somalia's political situation, with
far reaching consequences for the entire Horn of Africa region.In a pointed
message to Somalia's feuding leaders this week, both the United Nations and the
East African regional grouping IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on
Development) approved economic sanctions on anyone blocking peace efforts in
the Horn of Africa nation. Diplomats say the resolutions are equally aimed at
politicians and pirates, both of whom have contributed to the instability that
in turn has led to what aid officials call the world worst humanitarian
crisis.The surge in Somali piracy has led the world's largest shipping company,
A.P. Moeller-Maersk of Denmark to suspend shipping through the Gulf of Aden.
Several countries, including the United States, India and Russia have sent navy
ships to the region to try to protect commercial shipping. But officials admit
it will be difficult to police the vast oceans where heavily armed pirates
operate, using high-powered speedboats.The pirates have seized eight vessels in
the past two weeks, including a Saudi supertanker carrying $100 million worth
of crude oil. In one rare instance of countermeasures, an Indian Navy ship
Tuesday destroyed a pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden. Such 'mother
ships' are used to transport gunmen and speedboats to targets offshore.
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UN Approves 3,000 More Peacekeepers for DRC
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Question now is who will contribute the troops and how soon will they arrive
in conflict zone
The U.N. Security Council has approved the deployment of 3,000 more police and
peacekeepers to reinforce the overstretched U.N. mission in eastern Congo.
From United Nation's headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has
more.A woman walks past a United Nations peacekeeper from Tunisia in Kinshasa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 2007 file photoThe council unanimously
approved the secretary-general's request for a temporary surge in
peacekeepers. But the question now is who will contribute the troops and how
soon will they arrive in the conflict zone. French Ambassador Jean-Maurice
Ripert said some countries have offered troops, but the department of
peacekeeping is still looking for the full number needed and it would take some
weeks."Today, we authorized the DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] to
recruit and increase the number of troops on the ground, but they have to do
the work," Ripert said. "But they have started planning for that, I think."
Countries considering contributing troops are meeting at U.N.
headquarters.Diplomats say the reinforcement of the mission, known as MONUC, is
necessary to help the fragile peace process and ease the growing humanitarian
crisis.The U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is already the
organization's largest, with about 17,000 peacekeepers. But they keep watch
over a territory the size of Western Europe, and a spike in violence since
August has, according to U.N. officials, "overstretched" the
mission.Peacekeepers have been redeployed in recent weeks from other parts of
Congo to North Kivu - the epicenter of the violence. About 6,000 peacekeepers
are in that area now, particularly in and around the city of Goma. Congolese
government forces and rebel fighters led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda
have clashed repeatedly in the eastern Congo since August, following the
collapse of a January peace deal.
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Analysts: Al-Qaida Seeks to Capitalize on Global Financial Crisis
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Terrorist sympathizers describe financial turmoil as punishment for al-Qaida's
enemies
Analysts say al-Qaida appears to be trying to capitalize on the global economic
crisis. They say traffic on al-Qaida-linked Web sites indicates terrorist
sympathizers see the financial turmoil as punishment for al-Qaida's enemies.
VOA's Michael Lipin has this report from Washington.
Al-Qaida number two leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's video statement about
President-elect Obama, 19 Nov. 2008The world's financial crisis appears to have
energized Islamic militants and their supporters.
Groups that monitor terrorist Internet traffic have seen a flurry of messages
on al-Qaida-linked Web sites that gloat over the West's economic difficulties,
and urge militants to take advantage.
On one Web site monitored by the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, a user
says, "now is a golden opportunity. If America is hit now, it will never
survive, unless God permits it."
Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn released a video last month saying the terror
network hopes to use the financial crisis to inflict a "crushing defeat" on
what he calls the "enemies of Islam."
Terrorism expert and professor Bruce Hoffman of Georgetown University in
Washington says al-Qaida has long sought to destroy the West's way of life,
rather than try to win a conventional war.
"In terms of al-Qaida's propaganda, for at least the past six years - they have
constantly hit on the issue that they will bankrupt us. So, consequently they
see recent global economic events as providing proof of the effectiveness of
their strategy. That may be completely divorced from reality, but,
unfortunately, propaganda does not have to be true to be believed," he said.
Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Affairs agrees
that al-Qaida is using the financial crisis as a propaganda tool.
"There is not much taking credit for it, but there is a lot of, 'this is what
America and the West has brought upon itself - this is God's retribution on the
West," he said.
Both analysts say al-Qaida has not suffered financially in the current
economic crisis, because the group continues to draw funding from wealthy
donors.
They say al-Qaida also profits from its affiliation with Afghanistan's Taliban
movement, which raises tens of millions of dollars annually from illegal
production and export of opium.
Hoffman, of Georgetown, says al-Qaida also has become skillful at moving money
around without relying on bank transfers.
"Al-Qaida has been able to survive for the past seven years largely because it
has proven enormously adaptive and innovative across the board. It is not to
say that the means that it funds itself or even communicates are not extremely
cumbersome and time consuming - it just means that al-Qaida is willing to
invest the time and the patience in order to ensure that it continues to have a
flow of money and is still able to communicate to its supporters," he said.
Hoffman says countries combatting al-Qaida should not let the financial crisis
pressure them into cutting spending on counterterrorism.
"It is also what I think al-Qaida counts upon, that in an era of global
economic downturn, that inevitably the worldwide struggle against terrorism may
be clawed back, and that this may provide al-Qaida with exactly the breathing
space and the opportunity to further consolidate its revival, and carry on its
terrorist campaign," he said.
Levitt says the West should do more to combat what many analysts call
al-Qaida's increasingly sophisticated propaganda machine.
"We do need to get more involved in the battle of ideas, and we do need to be
much more focused on shutting down the radicalization portals, whether they are
online or elsewhere, and getting our message out...frankly, of all the
counterterrorism operations and activities we are engaged in, this is where we
are weakest," he said.
Levitt believes Western nations will not cut back on anti-terrorism efforts
during the economic crisis because the primary responsibility of government is
to safeguard its citizens.
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Obama to Face Strained US-Russian Relations After Taking Office
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Most pressing issue is disagreement over plans for a missile defense shield in
Eastern Europe
When President-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office January 20, he will face
a host of domestic and international issues, including what policy to pursue
toward Russia. In Focus, VOA's André de Nesnera looks at U.S.-Russia relations
and the most serious disagreement between Washington and Moscow - U.S. plans
for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe.
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (file photo)Most analysts agree that
relations between Washington and Moscow are not good. Some experts use phrases
such as "poor", "tense" and "at a very low point" to describe the relationship.
Marshall Goldman from Harvard University says both sides are to blame for the
deteriorating relationship.
"The United States under President George W. Bush adopted some policies that
the Russians viewed as being unilateral and in an effort to undermine Russia's
position in the world political system. And at the same time, the Russians did
some things, and particularly the war in Georgia, that upset Americans and
American leaders," he said.
Goldman says that in the past few years, as Russia's economic status in the
world grew as a result of high oil prices, Moscow wanted to regain its place as
an international superpower.
"And when it began to demand a larger voice on the world scene and had the
ability to carry out those words [i.e., its larger voice], then inevitably that
meant that they were backing into the United States, which had moved in to fill
the vacuum, so to speak," he said. "So the two of them, the two countries,
began to bump into each other. And I think that's where we are right now."
Experts say relations between Washington and Moscow hit a low point this year,
following the August five-day war between Georgia and Russia. The United States
strongly criticized Russia's massive military invasion of Georgia following
Tbilisi's abortive attempt to take over the capital of the breakaway region of
South Ossetia. U.S. President George Bush warned Moscow that bullying and
intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st
century.
While the recent Russia-Georgia war cast a shadow on U.S.-Russia relations,
analysts say the main problem between Washington and Moscow remains the Bush
administration's plans to put an anti-missile defense shield in Eastern Europe
- 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic.
U.S. officials say that kind of defense is needed against potential threats
from countries such as Iran and that it is not targeted against Russia.
But as Robert Legvold from Columbia University explains, Moscow strongly
oppose the missile shield.
"... because it doesn't believe that in the end its [i.e., the United States']
principal motivation is to defend against an Iranian missile threat, even
though the missile deployments in Poland and the radar to accompany it in the
Czech Republic clearly are not large enough in themselves to seriously threaten
Russia's nuclear capability. The Russians believe it's a piece of a larger
fabric that links back to the national missile defense the United States is
building in the U.S. -- the idea of theater missile defense to accompany it in
East Asia, maybe in Taiwan, elsewhere in Europe, is part of a larger enterprise
that would in the end be directed against Russia, or at least certainly would
have considerable implications for Russia," he said.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev (file photo)Just how important that
issue is for Russia was emphasized just hours after Barack Obama was elected
president. In a "State of the Union" address in Moscow, Russian President
Dmitri Medvedev threatened to deploy short-range, high-precision missiles in
Kaliningrad - a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea located between Poland and
Lithuania, two NATO allies - if the Obama administration proceeded with the
missile shield.
Many analysts, including Jason Lyall from the Woodrow Wilson School for Public
and International Affairs at Princeton University, say this was a direct
challenge to the U.S. president-elect.
"This is particularly interesting if you make the comparison to the Soviets. At
least the Soviets would let the new president-elect come to power, get his feet
sort of settled on the ground and then they would challenge - typically, up to
six months after he took powerm" he said. "Here, we didn't even get six hours.
I think what Medvedev is trying to do is to force Russia back onto the first
tier of issues. I think there's a concern that Russia will slip back down to
the second tier. It wasn't mentioned much in the [U.S.] electoral campaign,
which is a two-year electoral season. And it didn't get that much prominence.
Iraq, Afghanistan really kind of drowned out Russia. And I think Medvedev is
trying to send a signal, not so much to provoke a crisis, but simply just send
a signal and saying, 'Hey, we're here and we need to be paid attention to
because there are issues over here'. And he's trying to establish Russia on an
equal footing with the United States."
William Drozdiak, an expert on Europe and President of the American Council on
Germany, says Mr. Medvedev's warning was very poorly timed from a diplomatic
standpoint.
"It does not serve Russia's interests to push Obama into a corner. Because if
he [Mr. Medvedev] is really serious about making such aggressive gestures, any
new [U.S.] president, regardless of which party, Republican or Democrat, that
feels tested by a Russian leader like that, will need to show that he is strong
and [will] need to push back," he said. "So if he was hoping for a more
conciliatory reaction from Washington, he just won't get it because no
president, particularly early in his administration, wants to be perceived as
weak."
President-elect Obama did not react to President Medvedev's statement. Mr.
Obama's advisers say he supports deploying the missile defense system, but only
when the technology is proven to be workable. His advisers also say that Mr.
Obama wants to collaborate with Russia to scale back nuclear weapons and
ultimately have a nuclear weapons-free world.
During the recent international economic summit in Washington, President
Medvedev expressed a conciliatory tone, saying he hoped relations between
Washington and Moscow will improve under an Obama administration. But when it
came to the missile defense shield, Mr. Medvedev did not soften his position.
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US Senate Confirms Diplomat to be First US Ambassador to Libya in 36 Years
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Nomination had been held up by Senate Democrats until Libya made good on its
promise to fully compensate families of victims of terrorist acts in 1980s
The U.S. Senate has confirmed career diplomat Gene Cretz to be the first U.S
Ambassador to Libya in 36 years. His nomination had been held up by Senate
Democrats until Libya made good on its promise to fully compensate the families
of victims of terrorist acts in the 1980s. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from
Capitol Hill.
The Senate action late Thursday came after the Senate Democrat who had led the
effort to block the nomination cleared the way for confirmation by noting that
Libya last month paid $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of acts of terrorism
for which Tripoli accepted responsibility.
"I lifted my hold. The process will work its way now," said Senator Frank
Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat.
Gene Cretz (2004 file photo)The confirmation of Gene Cretz, who becomes
the first U.S. Ambassador to Libya since 1972, had been blocked from the time
President Bush nominated him in July of last year. He has served in key
diplomatic posts in Israel, Egypt and Syria.
His confirmation caps a warming of relations between Washington and Tripoli
that began in 2003 when Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi renounced terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction. The process accelerated this year when U.S. and
Libyan officials agreed on a comprehensive plan to compensate families of
Americans killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie,
Scotland and the 1986 bombing of a Berlin discotheque that killed two U.S.
servicemen.
Relatives of those who died in the Pan Am bombing joined Senator Lautenberg at
a Capitol Hill news conference Thursday to mark the settlement of claims.
"We are here today to say that a measure of justice has finally prevailed," he
said.
Kara Weipz lost her brother in the tragedy.
"We are free now to close this chapter in our nightmare," she said. "Does it
change the majority of feelings of families towards Mr. Gadhafi? Absolutely,
positively not. And do the families believe that he himself or those
high-ranking officials in his regime were responsible for this? Absolutely. And
that does not change just because this was completed."
The Pan Am bombing claimed the lives of 270 people.
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EU Opens Online Library
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European Union launches vast online library offering people across globe access
to millions of books, movies and other items from 27-member block
The European Union has launched a vast online library offering people
across the globe access to millions of books, movies and other items
from the 27-member block. Lisa Bryant has more on Europe's efforts to
showcase its cultural heritage - via the Internet.Call it the
21st century version of the famous Alexandria library that served as a
hub of knowledge in ancient times. Europe is offering a similar trove
of information via the Internet - allowing users to access tens of
thousands of paintings, books, manuscripts, sound recordings,
newspapers and other items from across the European Union.European
Commission spokesman Martyn Selmayr says the Europeana digital library
is planning to expand enormously in the years to come."Today
its just the beginning," he said. "We have two million objects today on
Europeana - cultural objects which exist in digital form. Our
objective is to have by the year 1010, 10 million digitized objects
available from all over Europe and they will be offered in 23 languages
so that everybody around the world has access to these cultural
heritages of the European Union member states.That includes
digitalized representations of masterpieces from the Louvre museum in
Paris or manuscripts of composers like Beethoven - or books from
libraries around Europe - although only a small fraction of the
region's 2.5 billion books will be available online in the coming years.The
project is one way to showcase the European Union - this time through its
cultural heritage."On
the one side it shows that Europe is made up not of a single unified
culture but that it has 27-member nations and each one of them has a
very long history," said Selmayr. "It also shows what we have in
common and gives the perspective of the neighbors."
"For example, the
fall of the Berlin Wall - very important for German history and also
for European history - is something you can find on Europeana in the
form of a film that is today stored in the French national audiovisual
institute. Germans, Hungarians, British citizens and also Americans
can see this big event, but through the eyes of French citizens," he
continued.Those who want to check out the new European library can click on
http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2079E9C:2DA063D257D43931079E165D31F11D0D98CBE7246176B735&;
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